Conference on “Diversity in the Writing Center Context” at Goethe University Frankfurt addresses neurodivergence, multilingualism and creative writing.
University writing centers deploy peer tutors, i.e. students trained in helping others improve their writing skills, who offer consulting sessions and workshops. To give these tutors an opportunity to talk about their work, a conference is held every year at a different location. One of these “Writing peer tutor conferences” (Schreib-Peer-Tutorinnen-Konferenz, SPTK) was held at Goethe University back in 2014. “We were delighted to organize another one here,” stresses Ruth Wenz, a research assistant at the Goethe University Writing Center, which is one of the largest of its kind in Germany. In late September 2024, 60 students from 25 universities (including universities of applied sciences) gathered for last year’s SPTK. “Over one quarter of participants made contributions of their own to the event – clear testimony to just how great the commitment was,” Wenz points out. The topic of this year’s conference was “Diversity in the Writing Center Context.” Ruth Wenz explains the reason behind this choice: “In the consultations and workshops, the peer tutors engage with people with a wide range of different backgrounds and needs: different genders, students with a migration background and those with experience of multilingualism. The services offered by the writing centers are also used by people with reading and spelling deficits or ADHD/ADD, or who are neurodivergent. There’s a huge need for opportunities to discuss and reflect on one’s own work, away from the everyday routine.”
Hanna Göbel, a peer tutor and a member of this year’s organization team at Goethe University Frankfurt, says the SPTK’s great strength lies in it creating non-hierarchical spaces where student tutors can talk about their experiences and connect with others. She is pleased that a group she led managed to come up with a mission statement, pointing out that: “All students, and marginalized groups especially, should feel that the mission statement is addressed to them. It was important to us not simply to say that as peer tutors we’re there for everyone, but to state that we’re aware of structural barriers that can impact individual success when studying for a degree.”
Looking back on the event, Malte Nielsen, a Frankfurt peer tutor and attendee at SPTK 2024, is still very positive about it: “The discussions were great. You really got something from them, like best practices at other universities.” He confirms that despite the reflection meetings, the daily routine still does not provide enough opportunities for tutors to review all their wide-ranging experiences in consultations and workshops: “We get to hear about the most varied cases of discrimination. We just don’t have the resources to document this scientifically, which is why the SPTK was such a hugely important forum for us.”
Ruth Wenz summarizes a finding from the last conference that is of key importance for her: “We consult with people, not on texts. We should concentrate on this interpersonal level to support people who want to be academically successful.” Hanna Göbel can illustrate this approach with an example from her own consulting practice: “Recently a student came to us with very specific questions about the examination in her subject, which I just couldn’t answer since our consulting is more general, not about specific subject areas. But when we finished talking she stressed that it had really done her good – she finally had someone who listened to her.”
Mission statement
We are aware of the structural barriers in the university context, which can impair your individual writing process, which is why we actively draw on the resources available to us to support you in navigating and eliminating these barriers. We offer all students professional, individual and needs-based consultations that are not tied to a particular subject area. We try to create universally accessible, non-discriminatory spaces where you can approach us with your individual needs in a confidential setting.
[Result of SPTK 2024]
